Winning Strategies | Video Poker is certainly NOT real Poker. Not only do I agree on this point, but I’ve stated it dozens of times over my 15 years of writing for GT. Video Poker is a paytable game played only against, well no one, really.

No industry likes to promote its losses quite like casinos. It gives other players the hope that they, too, could make one of those life-changing spins on a slot machine. A Christmas Eve jackpot hit for $2.7 million on a Monopoly machine at Green Valley Ranch Resort.

Poker by George | The controversy continues: Is poker a game of skill or just plain luck? Skill is knowing and using all the strategies and tactics essential to going home a winner after your day at the casino.

Winning Strategies | You have to review your dealt hand and figure out which cards you want to hold/discard. We do this by recognizing the partial hands out of the five cards that are dealt and determine which of these partial hands have the highest expected value.

The World Series of Poker celebrates its golden anniversary when this year's event begins May 28 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino's Convention Center. Last year's event had a record 123,865 entries generating a record $266,889,193 in prize money.

Neither poker rooms nor horse tracks are enjoying the level of success they once did. But don’t tell Pechanga Resort & Casino. The luxurious California property has combined the two with a “Poker & Ponies” room, and the results apparently are encouraging.

Winning Strategies | Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve tried my best to break down the concept of expected value, how it is calculated and a bit of how it is used. In doing so, I showed how some of the most common hands are likely being played wrong.

Poker by George | Poker players often take breaks from the game they are playing. They may just sit at the table without playing, or leave for a while, subsequently returning to the game. All breaks are not alike.

The current year has been a transformative one for the sports betting industry in the United States. Since the US Supreme Court handed down its historic ruling in May that overturned PASPA, many individual states have been energized by the prospect of legalizing sports betting.

Poker by George | Poker tables develop a certain character that may change over time. It depends on the playing traits of the players at the table. We often speak of the “texture” of the table as the game is being played.

Winning Strategies | When we look at a game in its totality, we call this the game’s payback and express it as a percent. At the individual hand, we express it as a decimal. If the value is over one, it means that we expect to win money on average in this situation.

The first gambling environment dates back to 1638 in Venice, Italy. Back then it wasn’t called a ‘casino’ it was known as a ‘gambling house’. Since then we’ve seen a phenomenal rise in casino’s appearing all over the world.

Poker by George | Slow-play is a form of deception often used by skilled players in Texas hold’em games. The sole purpose is to help build the size of the pot. It is best used when you have a very strong hand – especially if it’s the nuts.

Winning Strategies | The purpose of the last several columns has been to show that math drives everything in the casino. While the casinos have a macro approach, the player has a more micro approach, generally looking at things in shorter sessions.

Poker Profiles | Sean McCormack runs one of the most popular card rooms in Las Vegas, at MGM’s Aria. McCormack started his poker career working as a dealer in 2003, and eventually moved to Las Vegas. “And the rest is history."